Seraphina POV:
A laugh, brittle and sharp as shattered glass, escaped my lips.
The sound cut through the tense silence of the cathedral.
"A weak Omega?" I asked, my neck muscles tightening as I fought the urge to lunge. I drew my chin in slightly, swallowing the nascent growl in my throat.
I pointed the tip of the silver sword at the floor near his boots.
"A moment ago, you were watching a male Rogue accuse your bride of betrayal."
I took a step toward him, my eyes narrowing.
"You stood there and did nothing while my honor was dragged through the mud."
Julian's Adam's apple bobbed violently against the starched collar of his bespoke jacket. His fingers curled instinctively toward his palm, as if to grasp something, but they unfurled again, limp and useless.
"But the second I expose this attacker, you suddenly find your protective instincts?" I pushed.
I looked at the way his hands lingered on her shoulders.
"Tell me, Julian, do you two already share a bed behind my back?"
The crowd erupted into a chaotic buzz.
I could feel the invisible hum of the Mind-Link vibrating in the air.
The entire Pack was talking to each other mentally, sharing their suspicions.
They were questioning why a noble heir would defend a criminal Omega who just ruined his wedding.
Julian felt the shift in the crowd's energy.
His posture shrank slightly under the collective judgment of the Warriors.
Still, he tried to maintain his arrogant noble pride.
"You are speaking nonsense, Seraphina!" he shouted, his voice cracking slightly.
He stood up straight, trying to look down at me.
"Your father is the revered Gamma, the protector of this Pack."
Julian pointed a finger at me, trying to use guilt.
"He taught his Warriors to protect the weak, not to bully innocent, lowly Omegas in the house of the Moon Goddess!"
I did not back down a single inch.
"My father leads his Warriors to protect loyal, honest Pack members," I fired back.
I glared at Elara, who was hiding her face in Julian's chest.
"He does not protect deceitful liars who use dark magic to destroy a future Luna's life."
Her stunt was designed to strip me of my right to lead.
"She is no innocent," I stated loudly, making sure everyone heard.
I stepped right into Julian's personal space.
"You say you are not involved with her."
I stared directly into his panicked eyes.
"As the future leader of your noble house, tell us all."
I gestured to the elders sitting in the front row.
"How does Pack Law dictate we punish a Rogue who sabotages a sacred ceremony?"
Julian opened his mouth, but no words came out.
Sweat formed on his forehead.
His inner wolf was pacing nervously, unable to find a way out of the trap.
He just held Elara tighter, his silence speaking volumes to the watching crowd.
I saw the exact shadow of my past life in his eyes.
This was the moment he used the chaos to sneak her out the back door.
But I was not the blind, foolish girl from before.
*I would not let them escape the light of truth. And deep in my bones, I felt my White Wolf pacing, waiting—knowing the moment to strike was almost here. *
